insideSUSSEX Magazine Issue 22 - December 2016 | Page 18
ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT
Festive flicks
Christmas films are some of the greatest films ever made. It’s true; think about it - name another
type of film that you and your family are guaranteed to want to watch, all together, with no
arguments? What other films can raise a smile no matter how many times you’ve seen them?
Christmas films are pure escapism; happy endings are promised, and, even if you’ve got wrapping
to do, cards to write and a Christmas dinner to prepare, snuggling up for a couple of hours to
watch the perfect Christmas movie is never a waste of time.
The Romantic One: Love Actually
The Family One:
Home Alone
An all-star cast including the late
and lovely Alan Rickman, as well
as Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson
and Colin Firth bring this gorgeously
romantic Christmas film to life. It’s
a collection of interconnected short
stories that tie up neatly (much like
a bow on a Christmas present)
at the end. But, before we get
there, we see love in all of its many
splendoured varieties: friendship,
romantic love, heartbreak, first love,
and last love. We think this slushy,
lovefest of a film is perfect for
curling up with on Boxing Day night.
It all started back in 1990, when
Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin)
was literally left home alone when
his family – his huge family at that –
took a Christmas trip to Paris. A mix
up involving pizza and a brotherly
fight, plus the unfortunate timing of a
neighbour’s visit, means that Kevin is
forgotten. At first, Kevin is thrilled at
the prospect of being able to watch
scary movies and eat ice cream all
day long; he can even order pizza (plain cheese, naturally) and use
aftershave (argh!). But, when two bungling burglars decide that the
supposedly empty McCallister house is the perfect place to break into,
Kevin has to defend his home using whatever he can find.
A red hot iron, marbles, paint tins and a horribly hairy tarantula all come
into play in his ingenious plan, while miles away, his family embark on
an epic journey to try to get home to Kevin for Christmas...be warned,
the ending is a bit of a teary one.
The Classic One:
It’s A Wonderful Life
George Bailey (James Stewart)
has given everything he has to
the town and people of Bedford
Falls. He’s sacrificed his ambition,
his dreams of travelling, and a
better life (or so he thinks) in
order to keep the town safe from evil Mr Potter, who wants to take
over the town and charge everyone for the privilege of living there. One
night, George discovers that money is missing from his business, and
is sure that he will be blamed.
The Action One: Die Hard
Ooh, controversial! We’ve obviously just opened up the age-old
debate about whether Die Hard (starring Bruce Willis and, again,
Alan Rickman) is a Christmas movie or not. Now, it may not reference
Christmas per se, but it is set at Christmas, and it is about love
(in a roundabout way), so, despite all the explosions, gunfire, and
cringeworthy glass-in-bare-feet scenes, we’re adding it to the list.
Realising that this is the opportunity Mr Potter has been waiting for,
George brands himself a failure, and decides to kill himself – after all,
everyone in the town would be better off if he was dead. Or would
they? Angel, Clarence – who has not yet earned his wings – is tasked
with the job of showing George exactly what life would be like for his
friends and loved ones if he had never been born. What George sees
shows him that he is needed. He is loved. And he is far from a failure.
As Clarence tells him: “no man is a failure who has friends”. As the
film ends to the seasonal sounds of ‘Auld Lang Syne’, be prepared
to weep and then hug everyone and everything around you with
overwhelming gratitude.
Policeman, John McClane leaves New York to visit his wife Holly
(Christmassy name) in Los Angeles. She works for the Nakatomi
Corporation at Nakatomi Plaza. Unfortunately, a gang of violent
terrorists have decided that the Nakatomi Christmas party is the
perfect time to launch an attack. John, unable to get any outside help,
has to save his world single handedly. It’s a rip-roaring adventure with a
nice sprinkling of Christmas spirit thrown in.
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